


Turquoise

by BlackRoseMii



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Mermaids, Mermen, Original work - Freeform, mermaids aren't as nice as most people think, smut and violence in later chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 11:45:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10019279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRoseMii/pseuds/BlackRoseMii
Summary: Lyra is sick of her family and the traditions of her village. While trying to scream out her anger at the sea, she meets a creature that should only exists in stories. But instead of running away, she befriends this mysterious, but deadly merman.





	1. Chapter 1

It was always about the sea. There was no other place she could feel at peace. No scolding adults, no high-pitched laughter, no one to disturb her thoughts. Only the breeze and the steady crashing of water on stone. And some seagulls.  
At times like these, Lyra spend every possible minute on the beach. She either collected seashells to make pendants out of them or simply sat down and let her bare feet soak up the wet sand. This time, she shouted. She yelled at the sea as if she could throw all of her problems away along with her breath. She didn't expect the sea to respond, she never did. It just swallowed all of her anger and sadness and stayed silent. Yes, water really is the best listener.  
After her scream died off and the echo was already miles away, she sat down, pulled her legs closer to her and hid her face between her knees. Tears where forming in her eyes and rolled down until the drops hit the fabric of her dress. Everything was silent besides the squawking of the seagulls on the shores, the waves and a low giggle.  
Wait, what? A giggle? The sea doesn't laugh! That must be-!  
The realization made her spin her head in all directions just to see that there was nothing. Nothing but sand, stone and the sea.  
„Must've been some seagulls...“ She wiped a tear away after she settled back on the sand.  
„Nope, not really.“  
No, that was a voice! Someone watched her! She stood up this time and tried to look for the guy disturbing her alone-time. He'd get a beating if she'd find him.  
„Where are you? Show yourself!“  
But not a single stone moved. Even the sea seemed to ease its breathing. Lyra stopped searching for something that probably wasn't even here. She let her shoulders fall in resignation and sighed. The stress must be playing tricks on her mind now.  
With a muffled thud she resumed her previous position and stared at the endless water shining in the afternoon sun. Silence coated her again.  
„That was a pretty awesome scream just now. You've got good lungs.“ The voice surprised her yet again and she looked for its source despite knowing there was nothing.  
„That's not where I am.“ The voice giggled again. Lyra looked back at the sea and came to a conclusion.  
„Oh no, don't tell me the sea is talking to me now. I must be going crazy.“  
„You're almost right, but I'm not the sea.“  
„Then where are you?! And who are you?!“ She stood up again in a panic and was getting angrier. At the person she was hearing, for not showing himself and at herself, for actually responding to something that might not even be there.  
„I-I can't tell you.“ The teasing voice started to sound a little shy now.  
„Don't screw with me! You know, it's not polite to talk to somebody like that. Show yourself!“  
No response. Lyra waited a few more seconds before she let herself fall into the sand again.  
„I must be really going crazy, I'm already talking to myself now...“  
For some reason, she wanted to hear the voice again. Next to its teasing it sounded very soothing. Like someone she could talk to for ages. Just like the sea, rough, strong and calming.  
„Why are you crying?“ There it was again.  
„That's none of your business.“  
„Maybe, but I can't see a pretty girl like you cry. I want to cheer you up.“  
„Tch, what would you gain from cheering me up?“  
„I'd see your smile.“  
Lyra stopped responding to this, ignoring the slight heat that was rising in her cheeks. She thought of actually telling him her story. What would she have to lose?  
„It's about my parents...“  
„What about them?“  
„They're always telling me what to do, what to think. I don't have any word in stuff that concerns me! I have my own opinion!“  
„Why don't you just tell them?“  
„I've already tried. Several times. But they don't listen to me! 'It's for the good of the family' they say.“  
„Well, if it's for something good, why are you going against it?“  
„Because they don't even consider what I think! They treat me like property! Not a human! Argh, why am I even talking to you? You're just a voice in my head, you wouldn't understand.“  
„You're right. I don't understand. So please, explain.“  
„What's there to explain? It's a typical parents-daughter conflict.“  
„What is typical parents-daughter conflict?“  
„How dumb are you?!“  
„I'm not dumb. I'm just not accostumed to human society.“  
„What?“  
„You see, I'm...“ The voice stopped mid-sentence, as if it was thinking carefully about what it said next.  
„I'm not human.“  
„I guessed as much. You're just a voice in my head, so you're nothing more than a hallucination.“  
„No! I really exist! I just-“  
„Then show yourself already.“ This was getting old, Lyra didn't even care about sounding annoyed anymore.  
„Promise you won't freak out.“  
„I'll think about it. Once I see you.“  
„No. You have to promise me now.“  
She sighed. „Okay, okay, I promise.“  
The voice stayed quite for a while and nothing but the sea moved. And then, there was a light splashing in the direction the voice came from. She expected pretty much anything, a hideous man, a creepy old guy, even a talking animal would be fine! But that was...  
Realization hit her like a rock her size and she jumped on her feet. Her legs were almost giving up the moment they hit the ground, but the fear made her body too tense. She was about to run away, but the...creature in front of her held out a hand to calm her.  
„Wait, wait! You said you wouldn't freak out!“  
„B-but, you're a...a merman!“


	2. Chapter 2

Mermaids, also called sirens, are mythical creatures living in the sea. They have a half fish-half human body and are said to be stunningly beautiful. Some consider their existence to be just a legend, others claim to have seen them. But everything they say, aren't romantic tales. They are beasts, that eat human flesh. They hypnotize sailors with their beauty and their songs, leading them into dangerous waters. And when the boat finally crashes on the reefs, they pull them underwater to drown and eat them. Not many made it back, but those who did told the same stories. Mermaids are considered deadly and thus must be feared.   
This was the first thing that crossed Lyras mind. The creature in front of her was a mermaid – or rather a merman. Every muscle in her body was prepared to escape, yet the view of him was too fascinating. Despite his obvious abnormality - his tail – he was quite dashing. His body was definitely one to be worth looking at and his skin was slightly tanned. He had bronze hair that had probably never seen a comb and it was long enough to fall over his shoulders. One side of his fringe was loosely tied together with a leather cord. There were scales all over his body that glimmered in a strange hue of turquoise, just like his eyes. He would've been her type, if he wouldn't have been a merman.   
While Lyra had to overcome the shock, he leaned a little more forward on the rock he hid behind just a few seconds ago and held out a hand in a pleading motion.   
„Please, I just-“ She didn't let him finish the sentence. Without any warning she spun around and started running. But she didn't come very far when she heard a loud thud and a muffled growl. She looked back just to see that the merman had fallen from the rock as he was trying to stop her. He spat out some sand and tried to support himself on his arms. The sight of that – a supposedly deadly creature crawling on the dry ground like a fish – was just too much to stay serious. She let out a laughter and didn't stop, even when tears started to form in her eyes. She wiped them away and tried to regain her calm again.   
„I-I'm sorry. I didn't want to laugh at you.“  
„Nah, that's okay. I did want to cheer you up after all.“  
„Even if it means making a fool of yourself?“  
„Sacrifices have to be made.“ He giggled slightly and let his tail wave in satisfaction. It was such a strange sight, but his smile told her he couldn't even harm a fly. She sat down again, but still made sure to keep her distance.   
„So you decided to stay after all?“  
„Yeah. But only if you stay were you are.“  
„I don't think I can come very far like that.“ He splashed around with his tail to support his statement, which made her laugh again.  
„By the way, my name's Lyra. What about you?“  
„I'm Turquoise.“  
„Well, I can see that. I asked for your name.“  
„No no, that is my name!“  
„You're named after a color?“  
„Yes. You see, we don't really bother using names, so our parents just name us after the color of our scales.“  
„Really? That's...strange. I mean, do your parents care that less about you?“  
„No.“ He laughed again. „But, it's a little more complicated than you think. We sirens are different from humans after all.“  
Without realizing it, Lyra's attention rose slowly. She has always been more on the curious side, but she knew when to stop. This time though, she dared to step into a more dangerous territory.   
„Tell me about it.“  
„Err...you see...“ The merman used one hand to support his head and thought about where to start, while looking up as if he'd find the answer in the sky.  
„We have a different language than humans.“  
„How come I can understand you then?“  
„We're also taught to speak your language. But most of the time we're...uh...“ He was struggling to find the right words.“ „We're making noises.“  
„What? Like animals?“  
„Yeah, exactly!“   
„Care to teach me some?“  
„How can I teach you noises? You won't be able to understand them, they don't have anything like a translation. They are more like an expression of emotion.“   
That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. Once she wanted to know something, she wouldn't let go until she got a response.  
One pouting stare met a slightly nervous one. In the end the defeated sighed.  
„Okay, okay. Just one.“ And the victor smiled.  
Turquoise cleared his throat and hesitated another few seconds, before he started with a low, almost unhearable rumbling. It grew in volume, but it didn't go louder than a loud whisper. It wasn't a rumble either, as Lyra suspected first, it was actually purring. A merman purring like a cat. As if his clumsiness wasn't enough.   
He stopped shortly after she finished her thought.   
„And what did this mean?“  
He didn't answer right away. Instead he scratched the back of his head and looked away bashfully. He even blushed slightly.  
„It's a sign of affection. It means something like 'I like you'.“  
Now it was Lyra who blushed, but she didn't look away. Her amazement didn't let her. She had heard so many stories of cruel and vicious beasts of the sea and how they slaughtered men. But this one didn't fit any stories she heard. He was different, almost human.   
A small smile formed on her lips at the thought of befriending a supposedly lethal creature. 

„Lyra, where are you?“ Both of them winced at the unfamiliar voice calling for her.   
„Oh shit, that's my mom. I'd better go back.“ Lyra jumped up and tried to remove as much sand as possible from her dress, while putting on her shoes at the same time. She was ready to go when Turquoise stopped her once again by calling her name.  
„Will...will you come again tomorrow?“   
She just smiled and nodded in response, before running back towards the village.


	3. Chapter 3

„Lyra! Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day!“  
„Mom, could you please stop yelling?“ Lyra covered her ears defiantly. She was used to it by now.  
„Listen young woman, you can't just run away whenever you like to. You have duties to fulfill!“  
„Like what? Training to be the perfect wife for a husband I'll never have?“  
„Exactly! And even if you don't want it, you'll have to marry someday. Do you-!“   
„-Want to die alone and poor?“ The older woman was surprised by the defiant reaction of her daughter. She wanted to argue against it, but Lyra continued in a more angry tone, leaving her mother's jaw open.   
„How many times do you want to tell me that? I don't need a husband and I won't be poor! I can work, I can protect myself! I don't want to end up dependant on anyone!“  
„Lyra! You can't choose your future! Why don't you understand? We women aren't worth much in our society. You have to depend on others to lead a good life. I just want your best.“  
„The best for me would be that I can choose what's best for me! You're just pushing me on this path, because you were too weak to stand up for your own! I don't want to end up like you one day!“   
Just when Lyra finished her sentence her mother's hand hit her and the echo of the slap stood between them for what felt like eternity. Slowly the pain on her cheek rose to her eyes and they threatend to tear up. She tried to swallow it away, but she was about to lose the battle. So instead, she ran, leaving her mother on the path leading to the village.   
Lyra sprinted towards their home, passing by carriages loaded with all kinds of goods, the lively noise of the market and people she didn't even care about bumping into. Just when she arrived in her own room, the tears forced their way out of her eyes and she realized the heat of the swelling in her cheek.   
Nobody ever saw her crying and she sure as hell wouldn't let them now. Lyra was different from the other girls, she always has been. Instead of playing with dolls, she tried to mess with the sheep herds. Instead of cooking and sewing, she taught herself how to hunt. And instead of submitting to rules and traditions, she rather got herself into all sorts of trouble whenever it was possible. She wasn't the kind of girl she was supposed to be – never wanted to be – because she knew how it could end up.   
Her parents didn't love each other. Her mother had to marry her father, because of a dept her grandparents had. Even though her mother said she'd be okay, Lyra knows that's not the truth. It wasn't the life she wished for, it didn't make her happy. Even now, almost 20 years after the marriage, she could hear her mother cry from the livingroom when nobody was looking. That's the reason Lyra decided to take her future into her own hands.   
She didn't remember when she fell asleep when she woke up cuddled in her bedfurs. Her body demanded more sleep, but she forced it to at least open her eyes. Her cheek felt strangely numb.   
It was already dark in her room so she must have slept at least a few hours. Without moving she checked for any voices that might argue about her again. Nothing. A low growl in her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten since this morning. Drowsy she staggered to her door and listened more closely. Not a single sound was heard, her parents must have been in bed already. She added a few more hours to her inner clock.  
Lyra opened the door slowly, trying not to be too loud and almost stumbled down the stairs. There was a small plate of food on the ground in front of her. Against her expectations, her mother seemed to remember her good-for-nothing daughter after all. She decided to apologize to her the next day.   
This wasn't their first fight, but she really shouldn't have said that last bit. With a small sigh, Lyra took the food and ate silently in her room, before she returned to her bed and spend the rest of the night only half asleep.   
Morning came too early. Just when she was finally falling asleep, the sun reminded her of the harsh reality waiting for her outside. Still sleepy, she forced her sore body out of bed and down the stairs. Her father was already out on the fields, only her mother was busy with doing the chores. She didn't look up, which made the knot in Lyra's throat just worse and she felt the throbbing of her cheek again. Without saying anything she stood across the room behind her mother, struggling to find the right words. She inhaled just to be interrupted by the older woman, who stopped her actions, but didn't turn around.   
„I know you didn't mean it. But you don't have to apologize, you're right after all. I never chose this life, but I can't change it anymore either. And exactly because I know how it is to live a life I didn't choose myself, I want you to have it better than me.“  
She turned around to look at her daughter, tears glittering in her eyes.   
„I don't want to force you to anything, I just want to prepare you for what awaits you. You might want to live independant, but you also have to understand that there are limits we cannot surpass. Especially as a woman. I'm sure you'll find someone you'd want to spend your whole life with. It doesn't need to be now or in a year, but someday. And until that time comes, you're still just a child. So please, listen to me when I say I just want you to live a life I never had.“  
The whole time her mother spoke, Lyra had her gaze lowered. But now that she was standing in front of her, lifting her chin with her index finger, their eyes met and both of them were about to cry. And with a soft kiss on the forehead they ran down their cheeks.   
The day seemed to progress slower than usual. Taking care of the chicken and cleaning the barn felt like an eternity. Not because of the talk this morning or the annoying teasing of her peers (which she successfully ignored), but because of the person she planned on meeting this afternoon. Her stomach protested a little at the thought of interacting with a merman, but the forbidden nature and the secrecy of that very action gave her a thrill she couldn't ignore.   
She took a little detour to the beach to make sure no one followed her and called out his name when she arrived. There was no sign of him though. She tried it again, scanning the whole beach until she stopped at the rock he sat – or tried to sit – on yesterday. It took her a moment to see he was just next to it, lying on his back and his arms behind his neck. His breath was calm and steady, he was sleeping. She didn't want to wake him, so she approached the merman quietly and kneeled behind him, looking directly at him. Her heart was pounding in her chest when she saw him this close, she still had a different image of his kind in her mind. She stared at his features for a long time, taking in every detail of his face, his chest, even his tail. His scales were the most fascinating part of his body. They had multiple hues of turquoise mixed in them and Lyra wondered how they felt like. Unconsciously she reached out at the ones on his cheek.   
„Do you like what you see?“  
His sudden voice made her startle and she hid her hand like a child hiding something forbidden.   
„Y-you were awake?“ He opened his eyes and grinned cheekily.   
„The whole time.“  
„Why didn't you answer when I called you?“  
„I wanted to surprise you.“ He grinned even more and splashed around with his tail, throwing a few waterdrops in her direction. She held her hand up in defense and laughed.   
„I see you're feeling better today. Did you make up with your parents?“  
The laugh died off and was followed by a sad smile.  
„Yeah. My mom and me had a fight first, but we made up this morning.“  
„That's great. Fighting family isn't a good thing.“  
„Have you ever fought with your parents?“ He shrugged.   
„Nah. We grow up to be independant very soon, so there isn't much to fight over.“ Lyra let out a sigh.   
„Independence...Sounds nice.“  
„Not as nice as you think it is.“  
„Why?“   
„Because we don't have a family like you humans. After we come of age, our parents leave us and we have to survive alone. I'd love to have some company once in a while.“  
„You guys really are different from us.“  
Now it was Turquoise who smiled sadly and looked away. Lyra on the contrary was excited.   
„That's why I want to know about you. How you live, how you think, everything!“  
He was surprised at first, but smiled soon after.  
„Only when you teach me a few things about your culture.“  
„Deal.“


	4. Chapter 4

„What is this?“  
„That's called bread.“  
„It's dry...“ He looked at the leftover breakfast Lyra brought today.  
„Hey! I might not be the best cook, but it's not that dry!...Is it?“  
„Well, it's definitely more dry than fish.“ He examined it again, turning it in all directions before he finally decided to give it back.  
„Of course. Fish isn't made of wheat after all.“  
„You humans are weird. Why do you use food to make other food? Why don't you just eat it right away?“  
„To make it eadable.“ Turquoise still didn't understood, so Lyra inhaled to start her explanation.  
„And to make it more tasty.“ She hold out the half-eaten bread as an example.  
„You see, most of the ingredients for this aren't really tasty alone. In fact, eating raw eggs is gross. So we mix them, bake it and eat it that way.“ Turquoise held out a hand to interrupt her.  
„I have to disagree. Seagull eggs are delicious.“  
„Eww! Don't tell me you eat them raw!“ Now it was her turn to be disgusted.   
„Of course we do. We eat everything raw.“   
Lyra shuffled a few inches away from him, but still stayed within his reach.   
„What?“ He laughed at her reaction.  
„We can't 'cook' underwater after all. Or did you ever see a fire underwater?“ He gestured to the cold fireplace she made the day before, when she explained him how humans kept themselves warm.  
They have been meeting each other for a week now and Turquoise's curiosity knew no end. He's been asking her question after question, from 'What are these things of wood, that are pulled by horses?' to 'How do humans spend their days?' One of the most embarrassing so far was the question about clothing.

 

He hid behind his rock like everyday until he was sure the visitor really was Lyra. When he saw her he jumped out of the water to sit on the rock (which became his favourite spot). They talked about various things, mostly about what Lyra did that day, until he had a request.  
„Hey, how about we go swimming?“   
„What?!“  
„Why not? Don't tell me you can't.“  
„Th-that's not it. I-...“  
„So where's the problem? Come on! Take those things off!“ He leaned forward to tug at her vest, but she slapped his hand away and stood up to go a few steps away from him.  
„No! I'm not going to take anything off!“ He was startled at her sudden reaction and blinked a few times before his never-fading smile was replaced with a sad expression that made Lyra feel guilty. She lowered her defense a bit and tried to sound calming.   
„Sorry. I should've told you sooner. It's not decent to undress in front of a man you're not married to.“ He seemed to accept the apology and regained his curious look.   
„Why?“  
„Er...that's...because...“ She tried to find the right words, but his stare wasn't really helping. That wasn't going to be a topic she'd like.  
„You see, we humans have to cover us in clothing to hide our bodies.“  
„Why should you hide it? I'm sure you have a nice one.“ Heat rose in her cheeks and she was about to yell at him again, but seeing his innocent expression reminded her that he couldn't possible know about this.  
„Th-that aside, we don't simply present our bodies like mermaids. It's indecent and only reserved for the one you love.“ For just a second a sort of sadness shadowed in his eyes, but it was almost unnoticable that Lyra wasn't sure about it.   
„Does that mean I'm indecent, too?“  
„Well, I guess it's okay for, since you're a man.“  
„So men have different rights than women?“ She frowned over the thought of explaining that.   
„Yes, they have. Anyway, clothing is good for another thing.“   
Turquoise realized that Lyra was trying to avoid that topic and he let her be.  
„Clothes keep us warm. We'd be freezing to death if we'd run around naked.“ She paused, lokked at him and came to a question herself.  
„Speaking of which, aren't you cold?“  
„Nope. It's summer after all.“  
„But what do you do in winter?“ He shrugged.  
„Swimming more south or hiding in underwater caves. But even though, we sirens don't really feel the cold.“ She was thinking about how that could be possible, but no matter to what solution she came, the thought of wanting to test how warm his skin was remained. In the end, she decided not to do it and instead showed him what other means humans had to warm themselves by creating a fireplace with a few stray twigs laying around.

 

She took the last bite of her bread and put the cloth it was wrapped around back into her pocket.  
„Well, how about you then?“  
He was laying on the sand with his arms behind his head. When Lyra broke the silence he rose to support himself on his arms and looked at her.  
„Huh?“  
„I have told you so many things about humans now, it's time you tell me a bit about mermaids.“  
He didn't respond right away, in fact, it didn't seem like he wanted to respond at all. Instead he shifted his weight from one arm to the other, before he finally sat up, drew his tail closer to him as if he had legs under all those scales and rested his arms on what humans would call knees. A postion Lyra used to have when she wanted to be alone.   
„What do you know about us?“  
„That you seduce humans and eat us. That mermaids are cruel beasts and extremely dangerous.“ She chose her words wisely and tried not to sound too hateful, in hopes he didn't take it personally. It didn't change anything though. He let out a sad chuckle and continued to gaze into the sea.   
„I'd love to say you're wrong, but that would be a lie. We really are beasts and we do eat human flesh.“ Lyra expected this, but was more shocked than she wanted to be. Unconsciously her body tensed and wanted to move away, but she resisted.   
„Hate me if you want, I'm used to it by now. But you have to believe me when I say that I won't harm you. It's not like we're completely driven by instinct. We do have some self-control.“ Now he was facing her again and the sadness faded a bit from his smile, though the seriousness didn't. It helped her relax.   
„And besides, I'm different.“  
„Different? In what way?“  
„Other sirens don't care about humans. They aren't interested in how they live or think. I do though.“  
„Why?“ He hesitated and looked out to the sea again.  
„Because I'd like to be like you. I want to know what it means to have a family and friends. Or maybe I'm just sick of being called a monster...“ The last sentence was just a whisper, it wasn't intended to be heard, but Lyra did anyway. It made her sad and she started to realize just how human Turquoise actually was. He didn't match her image of a merman anymore. Something inside her changed and she tried to identify the feeling that grew inside her. Was it sympathy?  
She shuffled closer to him with the intend to cheer him up. She didn't know how, but she could at least try it. Her hand moved towards him, her fingers twitching with nervousness. He must have realized her intend and lookes back at her with a smile. She was about to pull away, but he took her hand instead, folding his fingers into hers.   
The first thing she felt was his warmth. For someone who spend his entire life underwater, his skin felt incredibly warm. Not hot, but warm enough to be called cozy. And then there was this tingle. Like little sparks that formed between their hands, crawling up her arm and down her spine until it ended somewhere around her bellybutton. It gave her goosebumps.   
They sat like that for minutes just smiling at each other and enjoying the feeling. She didn't realize how late it was when a ray of light brushed her face and made her blink. The sun was already setting.  
„Oh no! It's already that late?“ This woke her from the dream-like moment and she jerked her hand away as if the sparks just turned into a fire. She started to blush while she tried to remember what just happend. They didn't do anything forbidden, but it was definitely not something you'd do with just anyone. She jumped on her feet and tried not to look him in the eyes while collecting her stuff.   
„Er...s-sorry. I think I should go now.“ She turned to him again and held out her index finger to warn him.  
„And you'd better tell me more about you tommorrow!“ He nodded.  
„Only if you promise to swim with me.“ Lyra wanted to protest, but decided not to. She planned on keep him waiting by saying he didn't tell her when to swim with him. With a last nod she ran back to her village with a smile on her face and the strange feeling still lingering in her heart. She didn't look back. If she had done it, she could've seen how Turquoise's smile was long gone and there was a grief in his eyes nobody would've understood.


	5. Chapter 5

She liked the sea. Yes, she wasn't even afraid of it once. Neither was she afraid of boats or swimming. But this was different. The boat she was on wasn't exactly new, but it was at least be able to hold one person. And the sea didn't seem to roughen so far. The shore was still in sight, she could swim there if the boat decided to sink. All that wasn't something she couldn't handle. But there was one thing – one person – that made her stomach protest in unease.   
She knew he was there somewhere. He helped her push the boat into the water after all. But once it was able to float on the water surface, he dived down and didn't came up ever since then. Lyra made a note in her mind to ask him about his lungs later. The thought of him cicling around her, waiting for the right moment to strike made her even more nervous.   
„Hey! That's not funny Turquoise! Just come out!“ No sign.  
„I'm feeling like an idiot, talking to myself...“   
At that moment she thought she saw something shining underwater. Maybe his scales. But it was gone as soon as it appeared. She leaned forward to look for him and almost fell when the boat suddenly moved. An embarrassing high scream came out of her throat. She turned behind her and saw his scaled and amused face. He laughed at her.  
„Are you nuts?! I could've fallen!“  
„You said you could swim, so where's the problem?“  
You're the problem is what she wanted to say, but she swallowed it before it could leave her throat.   
They have been seeing each other for almost two weeks now and even though he never did harm her, the feeling of danger still lingered in the back of her head.   
„Hey, you promised you'd swim with me. And if it's because of your clothes, I don't mind. I'm used to see mermaids naked, so a human shouldn't be a problem either.“ She gave him a sour look.  
„“But it is for me. You woulnd't understand.“   
That hit. He didn't like it when she talked like that, remembering him of their difference. He dived a little deeper, burying half of his face in the water and stayed silent. It made Lyra want to apologize, but she couldn't even start. There was a sparkle in his eyes, that told her he was up to something. And in that very moment he started shaking the boat up and down. First gently and then harder, until he had to put all of his weight into it. Lyra digged her nails deeper into the wood.   
„Stop it! Are you trying to sink the boat?!“ His grin was enough to answer her question.   
The inevitable happened and the boat turned upside down, taking Lyra by surprise and taking her breath away. Out of reflex she used all of her strengh to swim back to the surface. After she regained her orientation, she looked directly at Turquoise's amused and victorious face.   
„Why did you do that?! I told you I'm not going to swim with you!“  
„You nodded when I asked you. That was clearly a yes.“  
„That was to make you stop asking!“ He gave her a dissapointed look and pouted.  
„Argh! You're so childish!“  
„I'd call it playful,“ he said with a mischievous grin, before her dived down again. Lyra couldn't see where he was and it made her nervous. Nothing happened for a while and she was about to swim back to the boat, but something tugged at her leg midway and pulled her into the water. It was too sudden to prepare. She wanted to swim up to take a breath, but at the moment she reached the surface, it pulled again. The circle of being pulled down and swimming up was repeated again and again and her heart raced faster with each time. He sight became blurry from the lack of oxygen and her body lost its strengh to fight back. Her last thought was regret. Regret that she dared to befriend her murderer. Then everything went black.  
In the darkness she started to hear a whisper. She wasn't able to make out the words or what tone they had. It was just a whisper. And then a familiar tinkling on her cheeks, followed by lips pressing on hers. This touch was something completely new. She forgot about the hands holding her head and tried to concentrate on the feeling of the kiss. It had the same sparks, the same warmth, yet it was different. The panic from before was gone and she felt save under his touch. Suddenly she was able to breathe again. No, he made her breathe. He filled her lungs with the oxygen she needed. Slowly she opened her eyes, ignoring the burning the salty water gave her. She stared right into his eyes. Turquoise, unreal, familiar eyes, his pupil formed into slits she had never seen before. But they weren't scary. They were fascinating, almost hypnotizing. And then she heard the whisper again. This time more clearly. There weren't any words, just sounds. Thogether they formed a melody. In that moment Lyra realized that it was Turquoise who sang. Not the way humans sang, but how mermaids did. It was their hypnotizing singing.   
Even though she wasn't on the edge of drowning anymore, her body still had no strengh to move. She was just a body floating underwater, her life in the hands of the creature she should fear.   
Turquoise broke the kiss, but the sparks lingered on her lips. She wanted more – wether it was more oxygen she needed or the feeling of his lips, she didn't know – but her body refused to move. His hands went from her face to her waist and pulled her up to the surface. She gasped to make up for the time without air underwater. Her breathing was still hard, but slowly she felt a little calmer and she realized how long her struggle went. The sun was already setting and the boat was gone. Right after she finished gathering her thoughts, Turquoise showed up in front of her. He was breathing heavily, not because of the lack of oxygen, but because he was in a panic as well. His eyes regained their more human form.  
He put a wet strand of hair out of his face and looked at her in worry, hesitant to touch her.   
„Lyra! A-are you okay?“ She wasn't able to speak yet, so she nodded.  
„You aren't hurt? Do you feel pain?“ She shook her head. It still hurt a bit to breathe, but that probably wasn't the kind of pain he meant.   
„I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to -! I-I mean...“ She hold out her hands to calm him and took another deep breath.  
„I don't care what you mean. Just...don't do it again.“ He nodded fast.   
„Okay. But...you're not mad at me?“  
That was a good question. She thought, after almost drowning because of him, she would more than just be mad at him. But that wasn't the case. She just felt relieved and exhausted.   
She shook her head in response and tried to put on a weak smile.   
„Anyway, I'll get you out of the water or you'll catch your death.“   
That said, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Feeling his warmth made her heart race again and she felt heat rising in her cheeks.   
She couldn't see how far it was to the shore, but it felt like it wasn't that far. Probably because Turquoise was a fast swimmer, even when swimming carefully. They soon reached the beach and Lyra was able to crawl the few meters in the shallow water until she finally felt dry sand under her hands again. Once she was far away enough to not be in the water anymore, she lay down on her back, closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. He crawled beside her and supported himself on his arms. He was out of breath as well.   
After a few minutes of silence both of their breaths eased.   
„I'm really sorry about this. I...wasn't thinking. I just wanted to play with you, scare you a little bit. But I...somehow...went a little too far.“  
„Yeah, no kidding.“ She opened her eyes and wanted to see his face, but he looked away. His face was full of regret and it was painful to see him like that.   
„Hey, don't worry. I know you meant no harm. Just be a little more careful next time.“  
„Next time?“ He faced her again and saw her smiling.   
„Do you really think you could scare me away with something like this? I've done more dangerous things like that.“ The tension was finally broken and both of them started to laugh.  
She wasn't going to leave him after all this time. She knew from the very beginning that it would be dangerous, but that's exactly the kind of thrill Lyra always loved.


	6. Chapter 6

„Oh my goodness, Lyra! What happend to you?!“ Before she could reply, her mother hurried to a closet, took a fresh towel and wrapped it around her daugther.   
„...Fell into the water.“   
She was still soaked from her little game with Turquoise, but she didn't notice the cold anymore that creeped up her bones. She was in a daze ever since she left the beach. Both because of the shock, but also because of something she couldn't describe.   
„Just what are you doing, child? You're always getting yourself into trouble.“ Her mother sighed and lead her to a chair.   
„I'm sorry...“ Lyra said emotionless. While drying her daughters hair and collecting new clothes, her mother continued.  
„Where have you been anyway? We've been looking for you! You know it's the season of harvesting and we need every hand we get.“  
„I'm sorry...“ The older woman stopped her actions and sighed. She realized something was off, so she sat down next to her.  
„Lyra, if there is anything you want to tell me...“   
„There's nothing, mom.“   
„Really?“  
„Really.“ Her mother stared at her with worried eyes, as if she wanted to find the answer she was looking for in them. Lyra stared back to make sure she wouldn't doubt her lie. It wasn't easy to hold up the gaze. In the end, her mother broke the stare and sighed again.   
„Whatever it is, just know that you can come talk to me whenever you want to.“ Lyra nodded and was relieved that she didn't have to blow her and Turquoises secret.   
It was already dark outside when her father came home. He wasn't the type to be extremely quiet, but Lyra didn't notice him until he slammed the door shut. He waited a little in the doorway to look at his daughter with a displeased face, before he seated himself at the table across of her.   
„Ah, does the little lady finally find the time to come home?“   
„Please, don't you see condition she's in? Think about her once in a while.“  
„I am thinking about her. Thinking about what kind of trouble she got in this time.“  
„But-!“ Her mother wanted to continue, but was interrupted by Lyra.   
„No, it's okay, mom. He's right.“  
„Finally coming to your senses? Took you long enough.I don't know where you're always going to and I don't really care about it either. But it has to stop. You won't be going anywhere for a while. Not until you finish all the worked that piled up from the times you were gone. Got that?“  
„Yes...“  
„Then go up and change your clothes. I don't have the time to have a sick child not being able to work.“   
Without any protest, she followed her fathers order, took the fresh clothes her mother set aside and went upstairs. It wasn't the first time her father scolded her. She should have been used to it by now. But the tears ran down her face anyway. Just after she finished changing her clothes, she realized the reason. It was her punishment. Not being able to go away meant not being able to meet Turquoise. It hit her harder than it was supposed to. They didn't knew each other for very long and there wasn't any special bond between them, besides the forbidden friendship. They wouldn't be seperated for too long either. So why did her heart hurt so much? Why did it feel like she has just been stabbed?   
She was trying to wipe away the tears, but they didn't stop no matter what she did. In the end, she gave up and submitted to them. She threw herself on the bed and stayed like this until her eyes started to burn.   
She didn't know what time it was when her mother entered the room. Quietly she sat down on the side of the bed and caressed her daughters hair.   
„Don't cry. You know how your father is. He's just worried about you, but doesn't know how to show it.“  
Without lifting her head she muffled into her pillow.  
„I know. That's not it.“  
„Then what is it?“  
She just shook her head in responds. Lyra knew how much her mother was worried and that it pained to see her like this, but she couldn't tell her about Turquoise. She couldn't risk it. Who'd know what would happen to her if they found out. Let alone to him. So she had to keep quiet about it, even from her mother.   
A lot of work waited for her the next days. Besides the usual work of tending to the chickens and helping her mothers doing the chores, her father gave her enough work to be occupied for the entire week. Mending clothes, cleaning out the barn, working on the fields – she had been neglecting all of that. She hadn't had a single calm moment to breathe. But she wasn't able to concentrate on any of it. All her thoughts were directed to the sea. And to him. Was he waiting for her? Did he think she'd never come back, because of what he did the other day? Would she still be able to see him after she'd be done with her work?   
Her lack of attention made her careless and she cut herself by accident while mending a dress.   
„You haven't been paying attention lately. Is something the matter?“ Her mother sat in front of her, working on a ripped shirt.   
„Err...no. It's okay.“  
Another few seconds of silence, but she kept her promise not to ask further. It stayed quiet for a while and Lyra found herself back in thoughts. Her chest grew tighter and there was this strange feeling of longing again. Longing for his voice, longing for his skin, longing for his kiss. She wanted to know what this feeling was. If Turquoise had been a normal human, she would've asked her mother about it, but that wasn't possible. Unless she would be able to leave out a few details.   
She stopped her actions and cleared her throat to get her mothers attention.   
„Mom, I've got a question.“  
„What is it?“  
„Do you know that feeling, when you want to see someone more than you thought you would?“  
„You mean missing someone?“  
„Not quiet. Or at least not like you'd miss a normal friend.“ That caught her mothers interest. She set aside her work and leaned forward.  
„Is there someone special you miss? Is he the reason you were gone every afternoon?“  
Absentmindly Lyra nodded. Just after she let her mothers suspicion sink in, she got alarmed.   
„H-how do you know it's a man?!“   
Her mother laughed at her and relaxed a bit.   
„Dear, I know it from your reaction. You said he's more than a normal friend and the way your mind is always somewhere else. So?“  
„S-so what?“  
„Who is he?“  
She didn't plan on answering that question, she actually hoped it would never come. But she had no choice other than lying.   
„Ah, well...He's not from out village.“  
„He's a traveller then?“  
„Y-yeah.“  
The older woman waited for more, but Lyra wasn't sure how much information on him would be save to talk about. Her mother understood that and gave up.   
„And he seems to be your little secret. Is he at least nice?“ His personality was something save to discuss. Lyra nodded with a smile on her face.  
„A little childish though, he likes to play. And he's very curious.“  
„Sounds like a nice guy then.“  
„Yes, he is.“ She got lost in thought again, smiling while images of him passed through her mind. She heard her mother giggle.   
„Oh dear, seems like you've fallen for him.“  
„What?“  
„You're in love, child. You love this man.“  
The words slowly sank into her mind, working their way to her brain. It took her some time to realize their meaning. But once they settled, heat rose in her cheeks, making her blush. No, that couldn't be. That just could not be. She wanted to reply something, but before she could do so, there was noise coming from outside. Louder than usual and more excited. Something had happend. Both women jumped up and opened the door. People were running towards the little port and when she and her mother arrived there as well, thes saw the reason for it. The ship that was supposed to come back the next day, came back torn to pieces, just barely floating on the water. A single fisherman crawled out of the wreck. He didn't look any better than the piece of wood that brought him here. Other men came to his side to help him stand. Once they got a save hold of him, he started to mumble some incomprehensible words. The only thing that was clear, was:  
„The ship was attacked.“


	7. Chapter 7

„It's the third time this year and it's not even fall!“ The first man said.  
„We have to do something about this, it can't go on!“ Another one added.   
„Deserters, pirates, no matter who!“  
„No!“ The fisherman tried to raise his voice, still weak from the tragedy.  
„Th-those weren't pirates. They weren't even humans! Th-they were...monsters! Terrifying creatures of the sea! Mermaids!“   
Silence filled the tavern, that was used for village meetings. Even though women weren't allowed to join those meetings, today was a special case. Everyone wanted to know what happend. Lyra and her mother were able to get a good place outside an open window.   
„Mermaids? I know you must've gone through a lot, but mermaids are just a legend. Your mind must be playing tricks on you.“  
„They exist!“ From the cluster of men arrived an old man, one of the village elders, supported by one of his grandchildren.  
„They exist, I say. They aren't legends.“  
„Elder, please. You're old, you don't know what you're talking about.“  
„I might be old, but my memories don't fail me. I have seen them, back when I was just a young man. They were hiding in the shadows, waiting for a time to strike. Their songs hypnotized our men and made them forget reason. They led us to the reefs and before we knew it, we crashed and our boat began to sink. Those who didn't die from hitting the rocks were drowned or eaten alive. It was a massacre. The water was dyed bloodred and not a single man made it out alive. I was able to escape, but...“ he hold out his left arm, presenting only a stump. „...not without sacrificing my hand to those beasts.“ A quiet murmur went through the crowd and grew louder until the major spoke up. He had been quiet the whole time.   
„Wether or not those attackers truly are mermaids, we cannot stand by and do nothing. We need to take action.“   
„But what'll we do?“   
„That we'll discuss later. First, tend to the poor man and everyone who isn't in the counsel will go back to work right now!“

Even though Lyra had listened to the story the whole time and knew that mermaids really existed, she couldn't imagine how others saw them. To them, mermaids were ruthless beasts, but they never met someone like Turquoise. A friendly, curious, human merman. One that wouldn't harm anyone. Unless...  
The moment where he almost drowned her shadowed over her mind, reminding her of what he was capable of. Maybe the way he played his game was actually the way creatures like him killed their prey. The thought of that made Lyra shudder. At the same time though, she remembered how he saved her, how he kissed her. It made her blush slightly and when she recalled what her mother said earlier, she actually had to stop walking on her way home.   
Did she really love him? She wasn't really sure what she felt for him. She never thought about it. Until now. Sure, it definitely wasn't a normal friendship. Because of his origin and because of the secrecy. But would she still be with him if she didn't feel more for him? The answer was clear: No. She wouldn't take such a risk just for the thrill of doing something forbidden. She enjoyed being with him. She enjoyed their fleeting little touches. And she enjoyed their kiss. She was in love with him.   
But realizing that made her punishment much worse. She wanted to see him – to tell him how she felt – but she couldn't. A single tear escaped her eyes.

„I'll be covering for you.“  
„What?“ The two women were standing in the kitchen, preparing tonights dinner. It wasn't much, but enough to fill three stomachs.   
„I told you I'd cover you, if you want to go to him.“  
„R-really?!“   
„Of course. Look, you have finally found someone you decided to love and I don't want to stand between you and your choice. I want you to have it better than me. That's why I'll help you.“   
Lyra was speechless and thankful at the same time. With a big grin on her face and a „Thank you!“ she swung her arms around her mother. Both of them laughed.   
„But don't forget: be careful. Don't let yourself be seen and don't do anything disgraceful. It'd be a scnadal if you'd do certain things with him without being married.“   
She knew what her mother meant and it made her face red, but then she remembered that an important part of him wasn't exactly human. Though she made a note in her mind to ask about that. Just out of mere curiosity, of course.   
Her mother pushed her a little to be able to look into her eyes.   
„Okay. Tomorrow, after you're done with tending to the animals, you can go to him. And if anyone is asking for you, I'll tell them I send you to get herbs for me. Be sure that nobody follows you and be sure to get back before dusk. You got that?“  
Lyra nodded rapidly.   
She was excited at her possibility to sneak away. So much she wasn't able to sleep properly. But she didn't care. The next day couldn't come faster. And she never worked faster. Soon it was early afternoon and she was ready to go. She quickly informed her mother and then was on her way down to the beach. She took the usual path through the woods, it was the savest she found, and finally arrived, just to see that no one was there. Her heart felt like it was torn apart and her whole body was as heavy as stone. She fell on her knees. It seemed like Turquoise thought her absence was because of him and that she'd never return. Tears started to roll down her face.   
In that very moment she heard a voice. A familiar voice like the sea, calling for her. When she looked up more tears formed in her eyes, because of the person sitting on the rock. It was Turquoise.  
„Lyra? Why are you crying?“ he said extremely worried. She didn't reply, instead she jumped on her feet and right into his arms, knocking both of them off the rock.   
„Hey, what's wrong? What happend?“ Her crying and sniffing made it hard to understand her words.   
„I thought you were gone. I thought you wouldn't wait for me anymore. I thought you'd hate me now.“   
To Lyras surprise, Turquoise started to laugh.  
„God, Lyra! I'd never hate you. Why would you think that?“   
„Because I didn't come back.“ He stopped, but his smile didn't vanish. He spoke softly and calm.  
„Of course I was sad when you didn't came back. I thought you'd hate me for what I've done. But I've been here everyday even before I met you and didn't have any reason not to be here again. And besides, I still hoped for you coming back.“  
He looked her straight in the eyes and they stayed quiet for a while. Lyra lay down her head on his chest again, enjoying his embrace and the little sparks between their skin. His breathing was even and she could hear his heartbeat. Her own heart calmed until both had the same rythm. She thought Turquoise fell asleep until he spoke again.   
„Why have you been away?“  
„I got punished. I wasn't allowed to leave the village, because I ignored my work and came here instead.“  
„I see. So you've finished your work today?“  
„No, I sneaked out.“  
He made a snorting sound and grinned, but his grin faltered when Lyra continued.  
„With the help of my mom.“   
„How much does she know?“ His voice sounded alarmed. She knew what he meant and lifted her head to look him in the eyes.   
„Don't worry, I haven't told her everything!“  
„What does she know?“ he repeated, more tense this time.  
„I've only told her I met someone outside the village. I didn't tell her that you're a merman.“   
The silence that followed made her nervous – even a little scared – because she didn't know what he would reply. After some time he sighed and relaxed.   
„So our secret is still save.“ She nodded and relaxed as well.   
Quietly, as if he was talking to himself, he added.  
„I wouldn't have been able to take it if I couldn't see you again.“  
„Me neither. Because...“  
„I love you.“ They said at the same time.


	8. Chapter 8

Smooth, thin, yet strong enough to be able not to break so easily. Like porcellain, only warmer, livelier. That's how Lyra imagined his scales to feel. Now that they were closer than ever, she didn't hesitate to touch him anymore. And she enjoyed every single bit of it.   
She was tapping along his scales, tracing the path they made from his heart, along his shoulder and finally to his cheek, where her attention shifted to his face.  
„You have no shame, do you?“ he said with a smug grin.  
„Why?“ she copied his look.  
„Just a few weeks ago you were berely able to hold my hand and now you're sitting on my lap and can't stop touching me.“  
„Is that a problem?“  
„No,“ he laughed. „I was just wondering. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.“  
That said, he put his hand on her cheek and pulled her in to a kiss. Even though she should be used to the sensation by now, the sparks their touches created were as addicting as ever. She needed more of it, more of him. She leaned closer to him, making him support himself on his arms when they got closer to the ground. Lyra was a little shocked when she caught her own thoughts about what she wanted to do next, but only giggled at it in her mind. She was brought up to behave modest and shy, but she never listened to anything adults said anyway. So she decided to take it a step further.   
She moved her hands to his shoulders attempting to push him completely on the ground. He resisted at first, but then let her be. He answered her action by wrapping his arms around her waist.   
This was exactly what Lyra wanted. Being able to control their pace. Now there was just one thing left to do.   
She licked his lips to make him open them. He did, but once she tried to entangle her tongue with his, he got startled and broke the kiss. Both were panting and looked at each other in confusion.   
„I-I'm sorry, I didn't expect this, so I got startled and...“ he tried to find the right words, but was interrupted by Lyras also rushed words.   
„N-no, I should be sorry. I thought I could take a step further. I didn't knew you weren't ready yet.“  
She straigthened herself and tried to push her hair out of her face, while Turquoise supported himslef on his arms again.  
„No, well, that's...A-anyway, I think you should go home now.“  
Lyra hadn't realized how low the sun already was, so she was surprised and hurried off of his lap. Both were blushing ashamed, they hadn't been lovers for very long now, so a little shyness still remained.   
Lyra didn't have much with her when she arrived, so she was quick in gathering her things. She hesitated a bit when she was ready.  
„Well, see you tomorrow then.“  
„Yes, see you tomorrow.“   
She went with a little triumphant smile and was soon out of sight, leaving Turquoise alone. He waited a bit to be sure she wouldn't come back, before his own smile faded and he let himself fall back on the sand with a muffled „Shit...“ He covered his eyes with his arms and bit his lip. Once in a while a swear left his throat. He lay like that until the heat in his cheeks cooled off and he's be able to think clearly.   
This isn't what he wanted. In some way it was, but his logic knew he should stop. Lyra might have thought, that being together with him wouldn't be more than a thrilling experience. She didn't grasp the danger she put herself in.   
Because, no matter how much Turquoise said he'd be different, he was powerless against his instincts. 

No one seemed to have noticed Lyras absence. Again. Her mother did a good job covering for her. It was already dark when she came home. She expected to see her father scolding her for being late, but she was only greeted by her mother.  
„Where's dad?“  
„He's still in the counsel meeting. Seems to be something important today.“   
She thought about what topic could be so important to extend the meeting. This didn't happen that often. With a mumbled „Mmh...“ she put her thin summer coat aside and started helping her mother preparing dinner.   
„Anyway, you're pretty late today. Did something happen?“ she said with an expecting grin.  
„Err, no. Not really.“ That was a lie though.  
She remembered her attempt to go further with him and it made her blush. This didn't go unnoticed.  
„Really? You didn't do anything inappropriate with him, did you?“   
„O-of course not!“ Her cheeks grew redder at the thought of what they could do together. Not that it would be possible. Unfortunately.   
Her mother nodded and believed her daughter. For all the trouble Lyra usually caused and for all the lies she has told, she knew the consequences of a night of fun and being an unmarried, pregnant woman.   
The door suddenly flew open and her father entered the room. He threw his jacket on his chair and sighed deeply when he let himself fall on the same. He didn't seem to be in a good mood. Without being asked her mother prepared some tea for him while she started to ask.  
„You're late. What did you discuss in the meeting?“   
Her father ignored the tea her mother put in front of him and sighed annoyed.   
„These stupid sailors with their stupid stories.The meeting took so long because they spilled nonsense.“  
„What nonsense?“  
„Monsters of the sea, creatures of legends, mermaids. Nonsense.“  
Mermaids got Lyras attention.  
„Why did they talk about that? Is it because of the recent attacks?“  
„Yeah.“ He inhaled to start the summary of todays meeting.  
„We wanted to talk about countermeasures. On how to deal with those attackers. And they kep interrupting us with their stories. Being out at the sea seems to make you crazy.“ He laughed quietly and finally took a sip of his tea, when Lyra interrupted the conversation.   
„And what did you agree on?“   
Her father stopped in the middle of his movement and stared at her. She wasn't able to interpret his expression, which made her nervous. It took a while until he stopped judging her and put away the cup.   
„Since we more or less know were those attackers are probably hiding, we'll form a team of our best fighters to get rid of them. We can't let any more of us die. They'll have to go.“  
She had to repeat his last words in her head over and over again until it finally began to sink in.   
„And when will you head out?“  
„There's still a lot to do. Summer's about to end and the fields haven't been completely harvested yet. And there's also the festival to prepare. So before that isn't done, no ship will set sail.“  
This made her relax a little. So she had still time to warn Turquoise.

She finished her chores as soon as possible the next day, to be able to tell him about the danger he was in. Panting heavily she finally reached the beach. Turquoise had been hiding behind the rock again, but once he saw her, he jumped on it.   
„Lyra? What's wrong?“  
She held out a hand to signalize him she needed afew more seconds. He waited nervously.  
„There's something important I have to tell you.“  
„What is it?“   
Lyra took another deep breath and settled on the sand. He did the same after hopping skillfully off the rock. He stared at her in worry and wanted her to continue. He realized that something was off.  
Lyra didn't knew where to begin, so she simply said the first thing that came to her mind.   
„You're in danger.“  
„What?“  
„Or rather your people. You know...our ships have been attacked several times now and the ones coming back alive said, that they were attacked by mermaids. Now, it has been decided to...exterminate you.“   
Slowly his eyes were darkened by realization and horror. He looked away and muffled swears into his hand.   
„But...“  
His head went back to her in hopes of some good news.  
„Turquoise...I want you to answer me honestly.“ She looked him straight in the eyes.  
„Did you or your people really do this?“  
He didn't answer. Instead, he looked away again and his face was filled with regret and other emotions she couldn't describe.   
„Please answer me!“  
She sat on her knees now to look him in the eyes, but he avoided her again.   
„I'm sorry...“  
„Did you-?!“  
„No! No, really. I haven't killed a single person.“ That made her feel relieved.  
„At least, not since I know you.“  
„So...you did kill someone?“  
„Yes.“  
She had to sit down again and let this sink in. Her lover was a murderer and his kind even worse. But that isn't something she didn't expect.   
„You can hate me if you want, I-“   
„You're used to it, I know. But that's the reason I want to believe in you. That you're different.“  
She smiled at him to cheer him up, but the opposite happend. His face looked even more hurt.   
„You shouldn't. I'm a murderer, a monster. I'm not different.“  
He said the last sentence slowly and clearly, so that Lyra might understand. She did, but still shook her head.  
„But I know that you want to be different.“ She still smiled at him and slowly, his smile came back, too. A sad smile, but it made him feel better. She knew him too well sometimes.   
„I guess I should go warn the others then.“


	9. Chapter 9

„Sorry, I'm late.“   
Her breath was short from running. Turquoise had already waited on his rock and splashed around his tail impatiently.   
„Where were you?“  
„I had some preparations to do. The village is busy around this time of year.  
She sat down on the sand and patted the place next to her to signalize him to sit down. He jumped down without much effort and took her chin to pull her in for a small kiss.   
„No kidding. I can see all kinds of people running around. And it's every year. Is that some kind of tradition?“   
Turquoise had told her once he found a good spot to observe the humans without being seen. That's how he knew about this. He just never knew the reason.   
„More or less, yes. I'm not sure about other villages, but we're always like that.“  
„Why are you so busy?“  
„It's because of the festival.“  
He shifted to the side so he could lay his head on her lap. She knew this behaviour and granted his wish to be petted. While playing with his hair she started her explanation.  
„It's a special event where we celebrate something. It can be various things, but this time we're celebrating the good harvest and the end of summer.“  
„Sounds interesting. Tell me more.“ he asked with his usual curious look. Lyra giggled and continued.  
„You see, there will be a great feast and plays and a lot of alcohol. No one will work that day and just have fun. And once it's dark, there will be a huge bonfire and couples will dance together.“  
Remembering the previous festivals she had experienced made her giggle again. She wasn't sociable enough for that, but seeing the drunk always made her laugh.   
Her laugh stopped though when Turquoise said something.  
„I'd like to see that.“  
Both were silent for a while, looking away sadly.   
He wouldn't be ble to partcipate for two obvious reasons. If he'd be seen by anyone, he'd be captured right away. And even if they'd accept him (which was basically impossible) he wouldn't be able to do anything.   
What he said next was just a mumble and Lyra wasn't even sure if he wanted her to hear it.  
„Well, it's not like I couldn't go there.“  
„What do you mean?“   
He felt caught and blushed while he tried his best to avoid her eyes.   
„Err, well...I mean...t-there might be a way I could go there after all.“  
It was rare to see him this shy. He was usually rather blunt with his words, but this time he seemed to avoid whatever he had in mind. But Lyra didn't care why he was like that. If there was a way of getting him savely into the village, she'd take that chance.   
„How?“ she asked impatiently.  
„It's not easy to explain, you know? It's...well...you might not like it.“  
He was still avoiding her eyes, but she turned his head to make him look at her.   
„Turquoise, listen. This would be your chance to be among humans. I don't know how you're gonna do it, but isn't your wish to be like a human? You said you wanted to change. So this could be your chance. You shouldn't think about me. It's your decision.“   
Lyras serious look amazed him. And her words even more. She was right. Even though he worried about what Lyra might think, this was probably his only chance to be a human.   
He gave it another few seconds of thinking before he answered Lyra with a shy smile on his face.   
„Okay, but I won't tell you yet. So promise me you won't ask.“  
She was a little surprised, but nodded anyway. Whatever his way of going to the festival was, he wanted to keep it a secret. And Lyra knew he always had a reason to keep things secret.   
The most important thing was, that they'd be able to be together without the fear of him being captured. 

The day of the festival couldn't come fast enough. Turquoise promised her to meet her in the evening and she trusted him. But not knowing what might happen made her nervous. And her mother seemed to notice it.   
„Why so nervous, dear?“ the older woman asked, while they were preparing the dinner of todays feast.   
„Err, nothing. It's nothing.“ Lyra tried to brush it off and distract herself with her work. But her lie was too obvious.  
Her mother giggled and continued in a small-talk tone.   
„Could it be that you'll be having a visitor tonight?“   
„I-I don't know what you mean.“  
„Lyra, you've been dating this man for some weeks now. And I've never seen anyone in love, who would've missed the chance of dancing with his partner. You're no exception.“  
Her mother was right. Lyra didn't tell Turquoise to come over just for him to be like a human for once. She did it for herself, too. So she nodded bashfully.   
„So we'll finally able to meet him. And who knows? Maybe after that, he'll decide to stay?“  
„That would be great.“ Lyra said to herself. But she knew that wouldn't be possible. She still didn't knew what way Turquoise would have to be able to come here, but she had the feeling it wouldn't last long. Because, if he had a way to be a human forever, he would've done that ages ago. Remembering that made her sad and she sighed. 

It was finally getting darker and the whole village was celebrating. The children were almost falling asleep in their mothers lap, the men were drinking and bragging about some stupid things or challenging each other to armwrestling. And the teenagers were glancing at each other, gossiping over who'd get a dance. The only one still waiting was Lyra. She stood in front of the village entrance, pacing up and down once in a while or looking into the far when she thought she'd see something there. He promised to meet her today, but the later it got, the more worried she was. Her imagination created various reasons for his tardiness. They didn't make her worry less though.  
Just when she wanted to go to the beach to check that he was alright, she heard something rustle behind her. She expected it to be something small like an animal, but when she looked behind her, she saw a something that was too big to be an animal. And the noises it made weren't what she expected either. She shadow came closer with mumbeld swearing, trying to find a way through the bushes. When it was close enough, Lyra saw who it was.   
„Turquoise?!“ She immediately covered her mouth when she realized how loud she was, checked if anyone heard her and finally turned back to him again, who was trying to het rid of the leaves that got stuck on him.  
„Sorry, it took a little longer than I thought.“ he whispered.  
She didn't heard his words completely, because her focus was on his appearance. There were no scales on his face anymore and he wore clothes. Plain and messily dressed, but at least he wasn't naked. But the most noticable things was the legs.   
His legs, no tail.   
„H-how...That...“ She kept staring at those two limbs she never saw on him before.  
„Yes, that...Like I said, it's hard to explain.“ A shy smile was on his face again and he rubbed his neck.   
„B-but...You're human!“


	10. Chapter 10

Lyra had never been this surprised. She knew that Turquoise was somehow able to become human, but part of her didn't want to believe it. But it was true. He stood before her, a little bashful, dressed and standing on two legs. She wasn't able to close her mouth anymore.  
„You know, it's kinda embarrassing when you look at me like that.“  
It took her another moment to be able to think again.   
„S-sorry. It's just...I wasn't sure if you could actually become human. Just how-?“  
„You don't want to know. And you promised not to ask.“  
„Oh, yeah. Sorry. Anyway, you look like a mess. Where did you get those clothes?“  
She tried to fix his outfit as a distraction to the thoughts forming in her mind. She still wondered how he was able to transform, but there were new ones. Thoughts that made her eyes wander up and down his figure. Thoughts of the things they could do now.  
„Err...“  
He hesitated to answer and let Lyra work on his clothes.  
„There was an open window and some fabric. I didn't really know how to put this stuff on, so it took me a while.“  
„So basically, you stole them?“  
„Y-yeah...But what could I've done? Do you want me to run around naked?“  
She sighed and shook her head.   
After a few more fixes here and there she took a step backward and nodded proudly at her work. Now he looked like a real human. One that lived in a civilized environment.   
„So, are you done?“   
She nodded again as an answer.  
„Now you're ready to go amongst humans.“  
His smile became wider, but also more nervous. He was excited to live the way he always wanted to. Even if it would just be a for a short time.   
Without another word, she took his hand and guided him to the marketplace, where the bonfire was already lighted. He twitched a little at the sight of the huge fire, but then he couldn't take his eyes off of it. Every single thing in this village was new to him. The houses, the people, and the way they interacted with each other. He would never be able to experience any of that in the sea.   
Lyra gave him the time he needed to take everything in.   
„This is amazing. I never thought that humans could be so...“  
„So?“  
„I don't know...Fascinating.“  
„You were always fascinated by humans, weren't you?“  
„Of course! But this...this is beyond my imagination. Thank you, Lyra.“   
The smile he showed her gave her goosebumps and she had to turn away to hide her red cheeks.  
They were silent for some time until Turquoise tugged at her clothes and pointed towards someone next to the fire.   
„What are they doing?“   
When Lyra followed the direction he was pointing at, she saw a few men preparing instruments and the people around them gathered in pairs.   
„Ah! It's time for the dance!“  
„Dance?“   
„I told you about it, right? It's when couples dance around the fire.“   
He looked at the couples postioning themselves and then back at her. He had this expecting look in his eyes Lyra knew too well. He wanted to try it out. That realization made her a little nervous.   
„We-?! B-but you don't know how to dance.“  
„Then teach me.“   
„There isn't much to teach. Just observe the others.“  
He did without a moment of hesitation.  
They stayed like this for one song, talking about all kinds of things Turquoise wanted to know. Once the song had ended, he straigthened himslef, turned to Lyra and held out a hand.   
„Would you do me the honor and dance with me?“  
Seeing him acting like a gentleman was a weird sight, but one Lyra would like to see more often. She smiled, took his hand and both went closer to the fire. He was a little clumsy at first and wasn't able to follow the rythm properly sometimes, but neither was Lyra. They laughed at every misstep and every wrong turn. They didn't care about the others. Everything they needed in this moment were each other. It was as if the whole world around them stopped in time. They didn't even realize how long they had been dancing until both of them were out of breath.   
„W-wow...That was...“  
„Fun?“  
„Yeah!“  
They were standing beside a tree now, watching the other couples that still had some energy left.   
Even though she promised not to ask him, she couldn't let go of the question about his legs. And she couldn't keep it in any longer.  
„Turquoise...I know you don't want me to ask, but I think it's a little strange how much you want to keep it a secret. So...“  
She didn't finish her sentence when she saw his face. His body was a lot more tense than before and he blushed redder than she ever saw. He was clearly feeling uncomfortable.  
„You don't need to answer if you don't want...“  
No, it's just...I guess I have to tell you one way or another. I just don't know how you'd react.“  
She wasn't really sure what kind of thing he was hiding that could make her mad.  
„Don't worry about that. Just spit it out.“  
He hesitated and looked to all directions to make sure no one would hear them. He waited another moment before he cleared his throat and started.  
„You see, Sirens are born human, actually. So they can return to being human as well. But only under certain conditions.“  
He waited again, but Lyra wanted to know more.  
„What conditions?“  
„Just once a month and only for a day.“  
„So why didn't you do it before?“  
„Because there...is another condition. And this is...well...“  
He wasn't sure how to phrase his thoughts and with every word he spoke his face got redder. It was making Lyra more impatient.  
„Well?“  
„...t-to mate.“  
She let the word resound in her head several times. It took her a while to properly understand them. But once she did, heat rose to her cheeks until she was worried her head might explode.  
„Y-you mean-?!“  
„You don't have to-! I-I mean, we don't have to-!“  
The silence that grew between them was more than just awkward. Both weren't able to look at each other anymore.   
Lyra hadn't expected him to say something like this. Yet part of her was glad he did. It was the same part that told her to stay when they first met, the part that kept her with him, the part that wanted to do something forbidden. And this part was now stirring up a weird feeling in her lower body. She inhaled and – against all warnings and moral standards – she followed that feeling and took his hand. It startled him, but he slowly understood the situation. There was a spark in both of their eyes that made any more words unneccessary. And so, they sneaked away from the marketplace towards a barn that was the farthest away.   
She made sure no one was following them before she closed the small side door. Even though it was dark inside, the fire from outside was bright enough to make them able to see each other when they were close enough.   
Time slowed down when his hand finally reached for her chin and he kissed her. Even though he was now human, the sparks formed between them anyway. Only that this time, they didn't stay at the place they touched, but they filled her whole body with a thunderstorm. Lyra was surprised at how greedy she actually was. While he was still in the staring phase, she already worked on undressing him. One button at a time. He realized her desire and fastened his pace as well. He lowered his hands down to her butt, massaging the soft skin, while his tongue licked her lips, asking for entrance. She let him enter and the dance they had finished only ten minutes ago continued in their mouths.  
Once Lyra had unbuttoned his shirt and slided it off of his shoulders she wanted to continue with his pants, But Turquoise was faster and did it himself. She was amazed to see that his arousal had grown this large in that short time. When he caught her staring he let out a small chuckle and pulled her back into reality by gripping the hem of her skirt and undressed her to her underwear in one fell swoop. The sudden chill gave her goosebumps, while he was a little dissapointed to see that her dress wasn't the only wall of fabric he had to overcome.   
He pulled her closer to him and let himself fall into the hay, pulling her down with him. They resumed their kissing and the feeling of his length between her thights made the thunderstorm in her lower body grow fiercer.   
Getting off the breastbindings was the most difficult thing. Turquoise didn't even know where to start and growled in frustration until he gave up and let Lyra take it off. She didn't hesitate to take off her panties as well. Both had to stop for a moment to catch their breath, exchanging meaningfull glances and smiles. They were ready.   
Without hesitating any further, Turquoise rolled over to lie on her and gave her one last deep kiss before he put all his strengh into entering her. She hissed at the unfamiliar, yet amazing feeling of him being inside her and tightened her grip around his shoulders. It encouraged him to fasten his pace until both of them were about to reach their limit. Her mourns and pleads when she finally came turned him on even more and made him reach his limit soon after.   
Both lingered like that for a while, enjoying each others warmth and breathing heavily.   
Lyra never thought her first time would be like this, but now that they were lying in the hay, completely exhausted and laughing, she knew his was the way it was always meant to be.


	11. Chapter 11

Pale light illuminated her room. It wasn't really strong, but she had to blink a few times anyway. It was a long night and she just found her way into her bed. The air still smelled of the bonfire, where both of them danced before they snuck out, enjoying their private time. Remembering that, Lyra smiled unconsciously. 

After their forbidden interaction, they stayed silent for a long time, lying in each others arms. When she was about to fall asleep he shifted his weight so that he could've a clear view of her and carressed her cheek. That startled her and she woke up again.  
„Sorry, I didn't want to wake you.“  
„Mh-mh. It's okay,“ she answered drowsily.  
„ I have to go now.“  
Lyra knew that Turquoise had to go back to the sea, but she tried to push away that thought. She wanted more time with him.  
„Already? Can't you stay for a little longer?“  
He shook his head.  
„It'll be morning soon. If you don't hurry back, they'll get suspicious. And besides, we can still meet at the beach, right?“  
A tired smile formed on her face and she nodded. Both stood up, dressed themselves again (though Lyra had to help him) and went back to their respective homes. 

Lyra forced her sore body up. Last night definitely took its toll on her. She was a little worried when she went downstairs, that her long absence and her long sleep might have aroused suspicions. But she wasn't the only one cursing the sun for rising so soon.   
Her mother was already up, preparing some tea for her daughter, while her father sat at the table with his own cup of tea. He looked like he fell asleep again, but his eyes followed her briefly when she came down the stairs. With a mumbled „Good morning,“ she took a seat and sipped at the tea her mother gave her that moment. It was a little bitter, but Lyras throat would've gladly taken in any kind of liquid right now.  
She wrapped both of her hands around the cup and drank the hot tea slowly, so she wouldn't burn her tongue. The liquid was a blessing to her dry throat.   
The day after the festival was the same every year. Most of the people didn't wake up before noon and the work was negleted for almost the whole day. It was a day when the women had to do the most, since most of the alcohol was set aside for the men. Though it also meant she didn't have to deal with the hangover and the painful headaches afterwards.   
Her father moaned loudly as he tried to straighten himself on his chair and her mother brought both of them their breakfast, before she seated herself on her own chair, a third plate of food in front of her. As they started to eat, none of them spoke. It became a tradition not to, since her father didn't like noises when he was like that. After finishing their meal, Lyra expected him to stay where he was and probably falling asleep again, but that didn't happen. Instead he emptied his cup and stood up. Both women stopped in their tracks and stared at him surprised. Her mother was the first one to ask.   
„What's wrong dear? Where are you going?“  
„The tavern. To a meeting.“  
„A meeting? Today? Are you sure you're not asleep?“  
Exhausted he shook his head before he answered.  
„It's because of the attacks. The men don't want to waste any time.“   
Lyras heart became heavier when she thought of what they were planning. She knew that it was just right for the villagers to defend themselves, but she also hoped, that Turquoise wouldn't be dragged into this. Her mother nodded in agreement and her father left the house.   
While taking care of her morning chores, Lyras mind kept wandering back to the night she had spend with the merman. She was still able to feel his touch on her skin, his warm lips on hers and the sparks she came to love. She didn't realize someone was behind her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around surprised, but sighed relieved when she saw her mothers face.   
„You've been out of it ever since this morning Lyra. Did something happen?“  
Hesitantly Lyra shook her head, but her mother didn't seem to believe her. She knew that something was different and she grinned as she continued.  
„He was there yesterday, right? Your little secret.“   
Alarmed her body tensed and dozens of different thoughts spun around in her mind. How much did she know? What was save to tell her? How would she react to it? In the end, Lyra was unable to say anything when her mother continued with a light giggle.  
„So I'm right? I must say, he does look handsome. You made a good catch.“   
Her uplifting tone eased her mind and she was able to relax a little. Still, she knew her mother wouldn't keep it at that.   
„Well, when do you plan on introducing him to us?“   
Lyra tried to find a good excuse and looked away when she answered.  
„I don't know. We're...not ready yet.“   
Luckily, her mother believed her lie and only responded by nodding. Relieved, Lyra continued her task she had forgotten when her mother had surprised her.   
She could never let her parents meet him. If he had been able to stay a human for a longer time, she might have considered it, but that wasn't the case. She had to come up with an excuse that would satiesfy their curiosity once and for all.   
As her thoughts were mostly about that problem, the time flew by and it was already past noon when her father came home from the meeting.   
She and her mother were preparing dinner when he entered the house and took a seat at the table. He looked more tired than he did this morning. Quickly, her mother prepared a cup of tea and put it in front of her father.   
„You're late. What did you talk about?“  
He took a sip before he answered grumpily.   
„Actions against those deserters.“   
Both woman waited patiently for him to continue while Lyras heart became heavier by the second.  
„In a few days, we'll gather our strongest men and set sail. The counsel thinks that will drive them away. Personally, I've got my doubts.“  
He took another sip from his tea and stayed silent for a while. When both expected him to have finished his report, he spoke again.  
„There's something else I've got to talk about. Lyra.“  
When the girl heard her name, she tensed and prepared for the worst.  
„The chiefs son talked to me today. He told me he took a liking to you. He'd like to marry you in the future.“  
But it came even worse.


	12. Chapter 12

Having caught the chiefs sons attention was supposed to be a wonderful thing. It meant guaranteed wealth, status and the most comfortable life a woman in their village could think of. Lyra should be happy, even overjoyed by these news, but it was the contrary. Her breathing stopped and the whole world around her suddenly became distant. She wasn't able to comprehend what just happend. She didn't want to.   
The chiefs son – Eric – was neither ugly, nor dumb. He was admired by almost every girl in a marriageable age. But he was just a small light compared to the one she really loved. Sure, that might have been, because Turquoise was simply a merman and bound to be gorgeous, but it didn't change the fact that Lyra was already taken. Not to mention he literally took her just a day ago.  
Her mother looked at her with worry when Lyra let herself fall on the nearest chair. She knew that her heart belonged to someone else and that these news where everything but music to her ears. When she realized Lyra wouldn't say anything, she broke the silence.  
„I think she needs a while to let that sink in. After all, this is Eric we're talking about. We should give her some time before she answers.“ she said, trying not to sound too worried. Her father only nodded.   
Everything that came after that felt like an eternity and oddly distant to her. She had barely eaten her dinner and hasn't said a word until she was finally up in her room. But being alone with her thoughts was the worst thing she could do. Absentmindedly she walked over to her bed and broke down over it. Tears started to roll down her cheeks and her sobbing was almost inaudible through the pillow she pressed her face into. She didn't hear her mother knocking and entering her room until she felt the bed move slightly when she sat on it. Without saying a word, but very well understanding her daughters thoughts, she caressed her hair until Lyras sobbing began to ease. Without lifting her head from the pillow she started to speak with a still shaking voice.   
„I don't want this.“ she repeated.   
„I know. Your heart already belongs to someone else. I can understand that you don't want to marry anyone else.“   
„But what should I do? Do I even have a choice?!“  
Even though Lyra never followed rules or some traditions, she was aware of her situation. In their society a woman wasn't allowed to make too many demands. If there was a man who wanted to marry her, she was left with no choice. The only way not to marry someone was to have someone else who wanted her. But even then, it was something the men had to solve among each other. And even though there was Turquoise, he could never even have the chance of fighting for her. He wasn't a human. If she wanted to live her life in peace, she had to obey. But that would be impossible for her. Being together with another man besides Turquoise was something her heart couldn't take. It was a battle between obeying and living peacefully or following her emotions and living a life she wasn't even sure would be.   
In a sad whisper, her mother continued.  
„You want to be with that man, but that won't be possible. Not as long as you're here.“ She took a breath to prepare herself for what she was about to say.   
„I want you to follow your heart. I want you to lead a better life than I had. If you decide to run away with him, I won't stop you.“  
Slowly Lyra raised her head from her pillow to look up. She wasn't able to clearly see her mothers face, but she knew she was crying. She couldn't even imagine how much it must have hurt her to say that, to be able to let her only child go. Knowing this, the tears that had stopped just a short while ago came rushing out even worse than before. She didn't want to leave her. She didn't want to leave her home. This village was the only place she ever knew, where she felt save, even with all its stupid rules and traditions. If all it needed to stay was to obey to those rules, she would do that. But that would also mean marrying someone she didn't love. And possibly never seeing the one she truly loved ever again. She couldn't do that. She didn't want to abandon Turquoise after everything that happend.   
Lyra set up to hold her mother tight and cried loudly until her eyes started to burn, just like she did when she was still a small child. 

She wasn't able to sleep that night at all. Her thoughts kept her awake and they were still tormenting her, together with the resulting headaches. The whole village suddenly seemed to be from another world to her. Everybody was back working like nothing ever happend. Children played around, trying to catch each other, women chatted on the streets and the men where working on storing away the rest of their harvest or started to work on preparing for the coming winter. It made Lyra sick and she was unable to bear that sight.   
Faceless people passed her when she strolled the village, not caring about where she was going. She ended up in front of the tavern, where a group of men seemed to discuss something. She recognized the chief, some sailors and a young man. It was Eric, the one she was told to marry.  
She never really paid attention to him. Mainly because he was already swarmed by the girls of the village. She never understood what they liked about him. He had a tall and broad stature, his muscles trained from all the hard work. His nose was a little crooked, his teeth a little unaligned, but that was something you could overlook. His hair was almost pitch black and always slicked back. Something the girls seemed to swoon over the most.   
Looking at him closer all of these features looked even uglier to her than ever.   
It seemed like he realized she was standing just a few feet away and smiled at her, his teeth visible a tad too much. Whatever he was trying to accomplish, it just had the opposite effect. Almost disgusted Lyra spun around on her heels and went straight for the entrance of the village.   
Not caring where her feet took her, she walked until she saw the beach from farther away. She used to go there to think or when she just wanted to be left alone. But in the past two month, her reason was different. It was Turquoise who made her sneak out almost every day. She stopped thinking about the consequences of their meetings at some point. The feeling of danger and thrill had vanished and was replaced with the longing for the love of this person. This merman.  
She had considered running away, even if it pained her. But with him as her love, where was she supposed to go? The ocean? That's where he lived and the only place he ever could. So going with him meant going into the sea. Practically drowning herself.   
Lyras thoughts made her speed up towards the beach, until she was completely out of breath from running. She didn't need to look around much to find a familiar voice greeting her.  
Turquiose was peeking from behind the rock he usually hid himself until he was sure his visitor was his lover. Now he hopped onto said rock and gave her the sweetest smile he could muster, his tail waving playfully while waiting for Lyra to come closer. But his smile faded instantly when he saw in what state she was in.   
On the way the beach, she had tried her best not to shed a single tear, but now that he was in front of her, reminding her of her fate, the tears just kept falling and falling. She threw herself into his arms, knocking both of them off the rock and hid her face into the crook of his neck.  
„Lyra? Hey, what's wrong?“ No answer. She needed the time to cry to her hearts content, Turquoise knew that. So he waited for her to calm down while gently stroking her hair.   
To him, it felt like an eternity until her sobbing started to fade and her breathing seemed to normalize itself. With a soft, soothing voice, he asked her again.  
„What happend Lyra?“  
She needed a few more seconds before she answered without looking up.  
„I want to run away. I don't want to be here anymore.“  
Turquoise didn't understand why she would say something like that. Her answer was too vague for him.  
„What do you mean 'run away'? From who? Why?“ Several possible reasons crossed his mind, some being himself. Did he do something to make her hate him? Did he go too far that one night? Worry and fear filled his head, creating a nasty knot in his throat. Between sobs, Lyra continued.  
„From this place. It's been decided that...that I have to marry.“   
The merman needed a while to process what she just said. He understood the custom of marriage, thanks to Lyra, so these news were equally painful for him as it was for her. Silent swears escaped his mouth and the fear from before slowly turned into frustration. He had thought humans created so many amazing and fascinating traditions, but now all he felt about them was anger.   
„But where do you want to go? And what about your mother?“  
„Mom was the one giving me the idea. She said it's okay.“  
„Then I'll scout the area for any suitable village on the coast. I'm sure I will find a place for us to live.“  
Turquoise started to sound rushed, almost as if he didn't have enough time to take her away from here. He brainstormed the villages he already knew and how they would escape this place, but he was pulled out his thoughts by the things Lyra said next.   
„I don't need any villages. It'll all just repeat itself. I don't need humans. I'll go with you.“  
Turquoise felt his heart stop and he inhaled sharply. His chest grew tighter each second, the world seemed to fade away from his vision and he was unable to breath. Was this how humans feel like when they're drowning?   
With an almost emotionless voice, Lyra added something that he never, ever wanted to hear from her.

„I want you to take me with you. Even if it means killing me.“


	13. Chapter 13

This was a nightmare.   
Never in his entire life has he felt so infuriated. Not at himself or her. But at the humans. His admiration and curiosity towards the human race and their culture has become pure hate and anger. How could it be, that a culture that created so many interesting things – festivals, towns, family – also create traditions that would rob someone from their freedom despite having done nothing but being born? If it wouldn't have been for her, he probably would never have cared about this. His curiosity would have gotten the better of him. But ever since he saw her crying her heart out, basically begging him to end her life, his feelings for humans changed. He was no longer just a bystander, someone who simply observed and learned. He was now a part of a humans life.   
It has been several days since that afternoon. Lyra hasn't come to the beach once. But that was okay, Turquoise wanted her to keep some distance so she might rethink her decision. He wasn't sure what to do about either. His thoughts kept spiraling back and forth without ever coming to a conclusion. Running to a new village was the best choice, but it wasn't one Lyra would agree on.   
So while he spend most of his time pondering on what to do, he kept observing the village from a save distance. Even before he met Lyra, he had found a hiding spot under a cliff where the village was built on. From here, he was able to see the humans running around and working on whatever humans were working on. Sometimes a couple of them would just stand there and talk. Sometimes children would run around, only to be stopped and scolded by there mothers. Other times he saw men carrying heavy tools Lyra called farming tools. This time, he saw a group of men gesturing wildly. It looked like they were arguing, but when one of them pointed to a certain direction, most of the others went that way, only to come back with tools Turquoise had never seen.   
His thoughts drifted to the group of men and a glimpse of curiosity came back. He wanted to know what they were doing, so he left his save spot under the cliffs and swam along the shore to see if they might have gone that way. It didn't take him long to arrive at the small harbor. Several boats where aligned, each having their own landing stage and the men from before went to one of them.   
Under the safety of the water, Turquoise tried to sneak closer, swimming and hiding from one landing stage to another. His heart was racing at the sight of being so close to humans. He has been among them when he was a human himself, but now with him being a merman, the whole situation was a lot more dangerous. One small mistake and he'd be caught. Even with the hightened strengh and senses of a merman, this many humans would be able to overpower him in no time.   
Clutching his chest as if he were able to calm his heartbeat with it, he hid under the closest of the landing stages. From here, he was able to make out bits and pieces of their conversations.  
Most of it was just random chatter, sometimes laughing, but the overall tone of the voices was very serious. There was one voice, that was louder than the others. Turquoise could hear by his tone that he was probably some kind of leader. He tried his best to concentrate all of his senses to be able to hear actual words.   
„Okay men, with that we should be ready to depart. You should get back to your families for now. It might be the last time you see them. By tomorrow morning, I want to see all of you on this dock, ready to fight. We won't tolerate these deserters any longer. It's either us or them and we won't hand over our fishing grounds without a fight!“  
It didn't took Turquoise long to realize what these guys were planning to do. Lyra told him he and his colony were in danger. He also warned them about what the humans wanted to do, but neither of them listened. They already thought of him as a weirdo, hanging around a human village so much. They brushed off his daily meetings with Lyra as a means to breed. While that was partly true, he also simply wanted to be with her. That feeling was actual love, he knew that. Lyra might have been bewitched into loving him because of the natural charme mermen had. But his feelings were genuine. And those feelings, together with what he had just heard, made him find a solution.   
Slowly, but with a more hurried pace than before, he swam away from the beach into the open waters and into the direction of his colony's home. 

His home was a small island. Or rather a cluster of cliffs and reefs. There was not a single spot of grass - let alone life – the perfect place to for sirens to reside. It was quite a distance from the main land, but that wasn't a problem. The possibility of a ship sailing there might not have been the best, but it made sure the colony would life in peace. Mermaids hunted during the night anyway. So once the sun began to set, a few of the mermaids positioned themselves farther away from the cliffs, to lure in the sailors, lead them to more dangerous waters where the rest of the colony waited and drowned them. Turquoise was one of the sirens that had the unfortunate luck to wait.   
The sun had set a while ago and there wasn't a single sign of a meal. They were already starting to lose hope.   
„Are you sure you heard them right Turquoise? It doesn't look like the others caught something.“ An older mermaid sitting on top of one of the smaller rocks sspoke up. Her pitch black hair had a few strands of grey mixed in already and it was almost as long as herself. Her violet scales had started to dull slightly. Still, despite being one of the oldest in the colony, she defended her position as the leader quite well. Turquoise turned to his mother and gave her a determined look and nodded slowly. Her gaze lingered doubtfully on him for a while before she turned back to face the entrance of their home. She wasn't quite convinced, but despite being a little weird sometimes, she still had some faith in her son. It took a few more minutes until they finally heard the voices of the other members. Realizing that their meal had arrived after all, they dove underwater and approached the now visible boat.   
Turquoise was right. The men on the boat were the same as the ones he saw back at the village. Only very few were still holding onto their weapons, they were all already hypnotized and led the boat towards the mermaids in trance. No matter how many preparations they could have done, they couldn't fight a mermaids song. More and more of the deadly creatures surrounded the boat, already having a beast-like eyes from hunger. The very few mermen were forced to wait farther away and hope one or two limps might reach their location. It felt like an eternity until the familiar cracking of wood threw the fishermen out of their dream like state and they realized where they were.   
The melodies stopped and were replaced by screams, cries and breaking wood. The ominious silence turned into pure chaos, a masacre. Men were pulled down by several mermaids, swam up and were drowned once again. Turquoise remembered the time he played like this with Lyra. His heart hurt thinking that he might as well could have killed her at that day, just like his kin did now. Blood began to paint the dark water red, almost black and the boat was now stuck between two rocks. Several men were trying to get it out of their, while they did their best to fend off the beasts. Turquoise had waited patiently at the side lines until he spotted a certain person.   
He only saw his face once and it wouldn't be important if he hadn't known his name. During the time they laid on the beach, Lyra crying her heart out, she mentioned his name. The second time he heard it was when he spied on the men when they were loading the boat. That's where he was able to connect the name to a face. And this face was now standing on the sinking wreck, fighting for his life. It didn't take him long to finally take action.  
Despite what he was taught, he swam into the battlefield, ignoring the painfilled cries and cracking of bones and flesh, into the direction of the man he hated the most. Eric.   
Turquoise grabbed the forearm of a mermaid in front of him and shoved her away roughly, giving her a raged screech that signified her to get out of his way. With a quieter, more submissive screech she turned away, looking for another guy to tear apart.   
Not even a second later, a spear came rushing towards him, but only hit the air next to Turquoises head, whose reflexes were faster than that of the human in front of him. He quickly grabbed the spear and held it in place, not even using all of his strengh. With a unreadable expression Turquoise waited for Eric to realize he had no chance of getting his weapon back, no matter how many times he pulled. Slowly, his panicked gaze looked up to Turquoises blackened eyes, the world around them becoming secondary as he recognized his face.   
„Y-you're...“ he whispered, trembling with fear.   
„I guess you've seen me before. At the festival, dancing with a beautiful girl named Lyra.“  
His eyes became wider, more panicked as he realized what he just said. He wanted to say something, yell at him, tell him he should never get close to her ever again. But his words were stuck in his throat.   
„I heard about you, too. You know, Lyra hates you. She told me she'd rather die than marrying you. Do you know how that made me feel? I love her and you're the guy that makes her want to kill herself! Do you know what that means for you?!“ His voice became fiercer, louder with each word. Turquoise was unable to contain his rage anymore and his instincts started to take control of his body. He was barely able to speak human words. He pulled the spear further down the water and grabbed Erics collar, draging him down to meet Turquoise. Only a few centimeter seperated him from his shark like teeth. Erics eyes were now filled with absolute terror, frozen and unable to do anything but to stare into a monsters eyes. With a low and intimidating voice he continued, his expression changed into a bloodthirsty smile.   
„She can't have both of us. One of us has to go.“  
And with that, Turquoise took his neck and dragged him underwater. He didn't even consider giving him a slow and painful death like the other mermaids did. With a targeted bite he ripped his rivals throat apart, blood enveloping them like a black curtain.


	14. Chapter 14

The whole village had gathered in front of the small harbor, waiting for news. Everybody had hoped the men would come hope victorious, but that wasn't the case. Just like before, all that came back was a wreck barely recognizable as a boat. It wasn't even able to hold together before it reached the shore. Several men ran into the water, saving the few sailors that were left alive, most of them unconscious and horribly injured. More than usually came back.  
Silence surrounded the villagers. Glances were exchanged, tears sted and everybody knew; whatever attacked them, won.   
Lyra's heart was beating painfully as she watched the survivors being carried over to the village. She didn't want to think about what injured them so badly. Or who. She was the only one who knew everything and she was forced to keep it all to herself. To protect the one she loved. She started to doubt if what she did was the right thing. She chose one person over the whole village. One creature over several dozen human lives. Her stomach twisted at the thought and she had to turn away. It wasn't the sight of the half dead men that made her cry, it was her own torn heart that was unable to chose between what she loved the most. 

„The chiefs son didn't come back either.“ her mother said while Lyra stared at the cup of tea that had already gotten cold.   
It has been a while since they went back to their home. The injured were brought to the doctors house, but nobody has told them about their condition. Their families have been summoned, so they most likely died or were about to. Lyra answered her mother with only a mumbled sound. She was too occupied with her thoughts to properly register what happend around her.   
The heavy silenced continued on the next day when three of the four men where carried to the graveyard, their families slowly walking behind them. Lyra couldn't bare the sight anymore. She didn't know what to do, what to think. And she couldn't tell a single soul about her worries. Besides one.   
She turned towards the entrance of the village and went straight to the beach.  
There he was, lying on the soft sand, arms rested behind his head. He seemed to take a nap, but when Lyra was only a few steps away, he opened his eyes and rolled on his stomach. Turquoise greeted her with the brightest smile he could muster, his eyes shimmering like the ocean, as if nothing ever happend. Hir smile faded though when he saw her face.

„Lyra? What's wrong, why're you crying?“ 

She brought her hand up to her cheek and wiped a tear away. She hadn't realized she started crying on her way. Expressionless she stared at her wet hand and tried to think about how she would tell him. There was so much going on in her head, so much chaos that it was impossible to find a way to start. Now that she was here, she wasn't even sure if he was the right one to talk with. After all, he was one of the creatures that had taken the lives of those who only wanted to protect the ones they loved. In that moment, a question came to her mind. One that would determine her feelings for him one final time. 

„Did you kill one of our men?“

Turquoise had to blink a few times before he realized what she meant. His worried look deepend as he shook his head, lips pursing into a thin line.  
„I haven't.“ 

Part of Lyra was relieved to hear his answer. It meant that he at least didn't have anything to do with the situation they were facing now. The other part though, felt like something wasn't right. Even if Turquoise didn't do anything, it didn't change the fact that his kind were murderers.   
He continued with a low voice, apologetic and sad. He was clearly feeling guilty.

„But I can't rewind time. I've seen what happend, but I couldn't avoid it. I don't have the authority to.“ he turned his head away from Lyra.  
„This all happend because I warned everyone. Maybe I shouldn't have-“  
„You were just trying to protect your family, just like us. If you are guilty, then so am I.“

His eyes shot up to Lyra when she interrupted him. Her face was no longer expressionless. She was smiling at him, still having tears in her eyes. A reassuring smile that told both of them, that this incident didn't change their relationship at all. It made him smile as well.  
He rolled over to his back and Lyra took the invitation, lay down next to him and rested her head on his chest while her tears kept falling down quietly until the sun set and she had to leave again. 

Nothing much changed in the next few days. The deaths had hurt the villagers deeply, but their lifes had to go on. Soon the villages daily routine came back and the mayor was discussing alternate ways to catch their fish. The only survivor of the masacre was still bedridden, but it seemed like he would make it. Lyra decided to limit her meetings with Turquoise until the matter was settled completely. Weeks passed, the days grew colder and shorter and the harvest was stored for the upcoming winter.  
But this wasn't the only thing that changed. 

Lyra groaned when she heard her mother calling her from the kitchen. The sun had already been up for a while, but her body felt heavy and she was unable to keep her eyes open for more than a few seconds. She buried herself deeper into her bedfurs and rolled over to the other side. The sudden movement made her stomach twist in an unpleasant way and it took her a while to calm down the need to throw up. A second call from her mother reminded her of her daily duties and she slowly sat up. For all the defiance she usually showed, she didn't feel like being scolded today.   
So she got up and changed into her clothes, despite the heavy protest of her stomach. Concentrating on her daily routine wasn't easy. She barely ate anything this morning and the feeling of nausea had increased ever since she got up. She wasn't able to hold it in any longer and ran behind a tree to throw up. It wasn't the first time she had gotten sick, but right now this feeling was just irritating. Holding her stomach, she slowly made her way back into the house to get something to drink. Her mother was stiching at a coat from last winter when she came in. Worried she watched her daughter.

„Is something wrong dear?“

Lyra just shook her head.  
„It's okay. I think I'm just getting sick.“ 

After emptying her cup and a few slow breaths her stomach seemed to calm down and she was able to muster a weak smile at her mother. The older woman returned the smile – though still worried – and went up to her room to get her a thicker jacket that would keep her warm. But just as she came back, both women heard an enraged scream from outside, followed by shocked gasps and scared cries. Remembering the catastrophe that had happend weeks ago, they were prepared for the worst.   
But what they saw at the entrance of the village was worse than Lyra could have imagined. Her heart stopped and she forgot to breath when she saw several of the men dragging someone into the village.  
Turquoise.


	15. Chapter 15

Lyra never regretted any of her actions. Even though she was raised to be modest, obedient and submissive, she was everything but that. She frequently caused trouble, messed with the animals, pranked the elders and fought like a boy. She didn't care wether or not she would be scolded. Acting like this was her way of escaping the invisible prison society created. That's why she never regretted anything.   
Until now.   
It started out as just a rebellious action and turned into love. It was supposed to be nothing more but an act of defiance. Nothing more but another thrill. It was supposed to be just one of her little secrets, a thing that wouldn't change her life so much. Nothing more...But now that her secret was discovered, for the first time in her life, she felt regret.   
She was frozen on the spot, heart racing in her chest and unable to breathe. The people around her had a similar reaction, but their reason was because they had never seen a creature like that. Several people prayed at the sight, others cried and yet other people started to scream in both anger and fear. Lyra wasn't able to know what they said, the whole crowd was just a pile of faceless humans for her. Her complete attention was focused on him.   
He never saw him like that. She only knew the gentle, warm, human Turquoise. The creature that was brought to the village was a beast. As the men dragged him further into the village he struggled   
with all of his power, trying to fight back. But the three men had a firm grasp on him, one holding his arm and hair, one holding the other arm and the back of his neck and the third trying to keep a hold of his tail. All of them had to put in all of their power to keep him contained, while Turquoise twisted and turned, jerking away his tail to give the men a good blow and trying to bite them.   
Lyra watched them as they came closer and the crowd retreated to stay away from the monster. His screams filled with pure fury and pain, almost like a banshee. The sight of that made Lyras stomach twist again.  
Once the men came to a halt, all three of them pressed the merman to the ground, knees painfully pressed into his back, face hidden in the dirt. On a closer look, Lyra was able to see open wounds and bruises covering his whole body. They must have surprised him before they beat him enough to drag him to the village.   
One of them shouted something Lyra was unable to understand and for a while nothing happend. But then a men was brought in front of the crowd, supported by a friend. It was the only survivor of the tragedy. Trembling he pointed at the merman. The rest of the people were silent.  
„It was him! I'm sure! He was the one who killed the chiefs son!“   
His voice echoed in Lyras head until it gave her headaches. All of this must have been a nightmare. It couldn't have been true. It couldn't. Lyras throat felt unbearably dry and she had to swallow several times, before she spoke in a low, trembling voice. But it was loud enough for everyone to hear, including Turquoise.   
„Say it's not true. Please.“   
The merman hadn't noticed her presence before, but now that she spoke up, his eyes were locked onto hers. They were black around the iris and the pupils were narrowed into slits. His teeth were a lot sharper than she remembered them to be as well. Lyra realized why people thought of mermaids as vicious beasts.   
Several painfully long seconds of silence in which the world around them seemed to be secondary before Turquoise slowly lowered his eyes. He didn't say anything, but Lyra knew what was going on in his head. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she repeatedly shook her head. She couldn't believe this. She didn't want to believe. All kinds of emotions overcame her at once and she felt like throwing up again. She didn't know what to do, so she turned around and ran.

She didn't care where she was headed or who passed her by. She didn't even care if someone saw her like this. All she wanted was to be alone. To work through all of these thoughts and emotions before they became too unbearable. With each step her breath became shorter, her heartbeat faster, until she broke down next to a fence surrounding the cattle. And she screamed as loud as she could, ignoring the burning in her throat. Something she used to do at the beach.  
That's where it all began. With a heartfelt scream about something she had already forgotten. It was supposed to be a simple action to let go of her frustration, something she always did. But in the end, it might have been the worst thing she could have done. On that day, all of this began. If she hadn't been there, if she chose another place, things wouldn't be as they are now. The men would still have been killed, she still would have had to marry the chiefs son, but that was something she couldn't have changed. She would be okay with that. If that only meant not falling in love and being heartbroken to this degree. She wouldn't mind her life being dictated if it wouldn't lead her to where she is now. She started to regret going against the traditions of her village and reaching for freedom.   
This thought made her wake up from the spiral of thoughts. Her cheeks were wet, but the tears had stopped. Her eyes and throat burned and she was unable to feel her legs. She wasn't sure how long she's been sitting on that spot.   
No matter what had happend or would happen, she would never give up on her freedom. She would fight for it no matter how much she would be hurt. This situation didn't change her mind about that. She wanted to slap herself for thinking like that, but her body was still sore from running.   
From somewhere further into the village she heard angered screams. She wasn't able to understand what they were saying, but she was able to make out a familiar voice, distorted into a beastlike cry, but still his voice. They were probably about to execute him.   
Lyras body started to move on its own, despite the fatigue, ran towards the chicken coop and threw open the door. The birds got startled immediately and flew around in a panic. Lyra ignored the dirt that was getting into her eyes and shooed all of them out, in the direction of the market place. Instead of following them, she made her way straight to the horses. There weren't many of them, but they should be enough for Lyras plan. Upon arriving there, she opened all of the stable doors and shoved the horses out. With a slap on the hind leg she got them running out towards the village. On their way, they startled some of the cattle as well, adding them to the small stampede. Hoping that this would keep the other villagers busy for a while, she followed the animals towards the village.  
The whole place was a mess. The animals were still going wild and the people had trouble calming them down. Various tools and baskets were broken on the floor, some people seemed to be hurt as well and no matter where you looked there were chicken everywhere. Lyra looked around quickly until she saw him, cowering on the ground. The men from before nowhere to be seen. She took her chance and went to him.   
He looked really bad. The wounds had increased and were worse than before. His nose seemed to be broken, there were several bleeding wounds on his whole body and he hung limply in Lyras arms. She shook him a few times before he slowly looked up. It took him a while to realize who was holding him.   
„What are you doing here?“ he said, voice weak and almost a whisper from exhaustion.   
A relieved sigh escaped Lyras mouth as she saw him still conscious, even if it was just barely. But she ignored his question and looked for a way for him to escape. There was a cliff only a few meters away. It was the same cliff as the one Turquoise used to observe the humans from. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and grabbed his waist.  
„Can you jump down a cliff?“ Turquoise didn't answer, he was still perplexed by the situation, so Lyra repeated her question. This time she yelled and looked him into the eyes. He nodded reluctantly.   
Satiesfied with his answer, she took all of her strengh and tried to stand up together with him. He was heavier than she thought. Slowly they made their way towards the cliff. The chaos behind them was still going on, but a lot calmer than before. It wouldn't be long until the animals would be calm enough for the villagers to realize what Lyra was doing. They had to hurry.   
When they arrived she let go of him and took a few steps back. Turquoise was now fully conscious   
again and sat down, ready to jump any second. But instead of doing that, he looked at Lyra in confusion.  
„Why are you doing this? You will get in trouble.“  
„I'm used to that.“ she said with a wide grin on her face that made Turquoise chuckle slightly. He knew she was a troublemaker by now, but he was still impressed that she was able to go this far. He had killed her suitor, was captured and their connection was made public, but she still refused to let go of her faith towards him. This was all he could ever ask for. He took a quick glance over the ocean below him and turned back to her. Hesitantly he spoke.  
„If...if it's a girl, will you call her Aurora?“   
Unconsciously Lyra moved her hand up to her belly, realizing that her sickness from before might be the first sign of a pregnancy. In any other event, she would be terrified to bear a child at this age, but knowing that it would be the physical proof of their love made her smile brighter than before. She nodded and watched as Turquoise leapt down the cliff, vanishing into the deep sea. 

Lyra stood there for a while, tears silently running down her cheeks. The animals she had freed as a distraction where all captured and brought back into their stables. Only a few chickens where still wandering between the buildings. She took a deep breath before she made up her mind and turned around. Fortunately, the men from before were still not back, but she avoided using the main paths to her house anyway. Everybody must have realized by now that it was Lyras doing and staying in the village might actually cost her life. That was the reason she was determined to leave this place.   
Upon arriving at her home she was greeted by her worried mother. She didn't even took a step forward when the older woman grabbed her daughter and held her close to the chest.   
„Lyra, just where have you been? I've been so worried about you, I thought-“ Lyra cut off her mother by shoving her away and making her way up to her room. She took a baf that she used when she was picking herbs or mushrooms from the forest and messily threw clothes into it. Her mother was only able to watch her in confusion and worry.   
„What are you doing?“  
„Leaving.“ she said without looking at her mother.  
It took another few seconds for the older woman to understand.   
„Then...is it true? Was this the man you met with all this time?“  
Lyra paused for a moment, nodded quickly and resumed her work. Silence filled the room and Lyra was unable to tell what her mother was thinking. She squeezed the last dress into her bag and was about to close it when she felt her mothers arms around her shoulders. Instinctively her own arms wrapped around the older woman. They stayed like this for a long time and Lyra felt tears running down her cheeks. Her own and the ones of her mother. Both of them were ready to be seperated ever since they knew about the arranged marriage. But after the tragedy neither of them had thought that day would come. Part of Lyra still didn't want to leave. This was her home, the place she grew up in, the place where her friends and family were. But they also knew that if Lyra were to stay, her life would turn into a living hell. Her mother didn't want that, so she had to let go of her daughter.   
Slowly the two woman broke the embrace and looked at each other. The older woman wiped tears from Lyras cheek and rested her forehead on hers. Her mothers voice trembled.  
„Make sure to find a better place to live in.“ Her daughter nodded, took her bag and made her way down the stairs. Just as she was about to open the front door her mother gave her a small bag of leftover bread and kissed her forehead. Then, Lyra stepped out the door and went into the direction of the horse stable.   
The horses were all brought back and there was no villager to be seen. It almost seemed like nothing had ever happend, with the difference that everybody must be searching for her. She went up to a horse that she used to play with as a child. It was the only one that ever listened to her. They were very similar in that regard. Both stubborn and seeking for freedom. Lyra knew she was caught in the wild and that nobody was able to ride on her back. Nobody but Lyra. Maybe it was because of the personality they shared or the fact that she visited her every day, just talking to her about anything and everything. Whatever it was, she knew this would be the only friend she could trust now and that would be able to accompany her wherever she would go.   
Lyra put on the saddle while mumbling reassuring words to her, threw her bag over her shoulder and got on her horse. Slowly she made her way away from the village and with one last glance back, she quickened her pace towards a better future. 

 

The waves crashed lightly on the shore of the beach, as if the sea was breathing. The sea was more than just a huge mass of water. There were dangers out there humans were never able to comprehend. Nobody knew that better than him, he was one of these dangers. But as he was now, alone without his colony, he wasn't more than a fish on dry water, barely able to survive on his own. But he didn't have a choice. He was exiled from his colony after the village they preyed on found out about their existence. From that day on, he never stayed in one place. Not because it wouldn't have been suitable for him, but because he always had the hope of finding a certain person. But after ten years he was sure he would never see her again.   
He sighed as he layed on the sand, staring at the sun until the light was too much for him and he shielded his eyes with his hands. His stomach growled and the memory of a dry yet soft bread came across his mind. He wondered if humans would be able to make bread with seagull eggs.   
He was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard a small whimper somewhere close to him. Startled he slided deeper into the water and took cover behind a small ledge. The whimper turned into quiet sobbing. Turquoise peeked from his little hiding spot and saw a little girl settle down into the sand. She pulled her legs closer to her chest and hid her face between them. The merman observed her for a while and wondered why she might be sad. He couldn't see her face, but she must have been rather cute. She had red curly hair that reached to her waist and her sobbing made Turquoise want to cheer her up. He hesitated for a moment and gathered his courage before he spoke.   
„Why are you crying?“  
As he thought the girl got startled and looked around, only to realized there was noone. She leaned her head to one side and looked over the sea. Turquoise giggled slightly at the view and the girl spun around again. This reaction reminded him of a certain someone.  
„That's not where I am.“ he laughed again.   
Now it was the girls turn to talk.  
„Then where are you?“ her voice was as clear as a bell.  
Taking another breath Turquoise decided to show himself. A child seeing him should be too dangerous. She saw him right away and her eyes widened in wonder. But she didn't move. She didn't seem to be scared at all, even though she was clearly able to see his tail. The girl blinked a few times and moved slightly forward, making it possible to have closer look on her face.  
Though much more childlike, her features reminded him of someone. But the most notable thing were her eyes. They didn't seem to have a natural color and at first, Turquoise thought they were blind, but that wasn't the case. They had a strange hue of blue, almost silvery-white. They were truly beautiful. The merman spoke again.  
„Hey, what's your name?“  
„I'm Aurora.“  
His eyes went wide when he heard her name, but his face became softer and he smiled when he realized that his feeling was not just a hunch. 

He had found his family.


End file.
